On the eighteenth day after Chi Chenguang was arrested, Zhou Song went back to school. In fact, he was reluctant to go back to school, but he had fallen behind on his homework for many days. His mother insisted on letting the driver send him to school, and the driver watched him enter.
Just left the classroom.
The news that Chi Chenguang is a serial killer has long been known throughout the city, causing huge waves in Yucheng, and his identity has also changed, from a rich young man to a murderer. The isolation and rejection of him by his classmates is due to him
As expected, he was already withdrawn and kept to himself. As a result, the surrounding area was barren. Everyone in the school avoided him like snakes, insects, rats, and ants. Only one person was a special case among this group of people.
, that is his classmate Fang Lei.
On the first day of school, Zhou Song was deeply impressed by Fang Lei because Fang Lei was much stronger than his peers and was a head taller than the senior students. He always sat in the last row and the seat next to him was always empty.
.Because he was too naughty and always talked in class, the teacher did not assign him a deskmate. Fang Lei seemed to be 'different' since he was a child. He was tall, strong, playful, playful, talking and laughing, but
His grades were particularly poor and his reactions were slow.
Once when passing by the classroom office, Zhou Song heard the head teacher tell other teachers that Fang Lei had an intellectual disability and was a "mentally retarded". Maybe the word "mentally retarded" was not accurate enough, but it spread like wildfire in the school, and Fang Lei was labeled as "mentally retarded" by others.
'Appropriately, he is not annoyed at all, and still plays around with the people who scold him heartlessly. He will occasionally get angry. When he gets angry, he will cover his head with his hands and squat on the ground and let out a roar like a small animal. Others.
Everyone laughed when they saw him like this. When he saw others laughing, he laughed too, and in the blink of an eye he forgot about the unpleasantness just now.
He likes to make friends with everyone, and Zhou Song is also among his friends. Zhou Song occasionally talks to him, and he is very happy. After Zhou Song returned to school as the son of a murderer, only Fang Lei did not avoid him.
, buzzing around him like a noisy bee; Fang Lei will help him retrieve the books hidden by his classmates, retrieve the chairs that were thrown on the playground, wipe the dirty desk, etc.
Wait. Fang Lei became his bodyguard in school. No matter where he went, Fang Lei's shadow could always be found by his side.
One afternoon after school, Zhou Song left school late, and almost all the teachers and students in the school had left. When he walked to the school gate, he was hit in the head by a flying stone, and then more stones flew towards him.
Several senior boys stood not far away and threw stones at him, laughing and cursing as they did so.
Zhou Song was at a loss when Fang Lei rushed over with a roar. Without saying a word, he picked up the stones on the ground and threw them back one by one. The two armies were fighting fiercely, and Fang Lei was hit in the head by a rock, which immediately cut a gash.
, blood flowed down his forehead.
It was the first time that the boys saw so much blood, and they ran away in fright. The guard rushed over after hearing the sound, and quickly sent Fang Lei to the hospital. Zhou Song also followed, and saw with his own eyes that Fang Lei was crying when he had tetanus.
The earth shook and the mountains shook. Later, he received stitches, but he remained silent. That day in the hospital, Zhou Song met Fang Lei's mother Liu Qian for the first time. Liu Qian was still very young at the time, but she was aging early. She was alone
Running around the hospital, his withered and thin back looked haggard and tired.
The next day, Fang Lei's father, Fang Yaqing, ran to the school to cause trouble. He dragged Fang Lei to show the school leaders the stitched wound on Fang Lei's forehead, and demanded that the school authorities severely punish the senior children. Zhou Song was also present, and he smelled the
Fang Yaqing smelled of alcohol. It seemed that Fang Yaqing was still hungover or had just drank. Fang Yaqing taught Fang Lei another lesson and strictly ordered him not to play with bad boys. As for who was a bad boy, he used Zhou Song as an example.
He grabbed Zhou Song's arm and dragged Zhou Song over, forcing Fang Lei to promise not to associate with Zhou Song again.
Fang Lei's face was red and he was crying, looking angry and sad. When he saw his father pulling Zhou Song roughly, he suddenly shouted angrily and plunged into his father's arms like a little bull.
He pushed his father over.
Later, Zhou Song heard that Fang Yaqing was a hopeless gambler and alcoholic, and often abused his wife and children. Fang Lei was a normal child. A few years ago, Yaqing got drunk and slapped Fang Lei on the face.
Fang Lei hit his head when he fell. Fang Lei's head injury caused his mental development to be retarded. He was much dumber than his peers and has been suspended for two grades.
Zhou Songben had forgotten these things. His memory was always updating and iterating, always forgetting some things and people from the past. But when he saw the scar on Qin Xiao's forehead again, these lost memories were like running water, and they all came back.
.
Fang Lei said that his current name is not Fang Lei, but Qin Xiao, which was the name given to him by his parents in the south. More than ten years ago, he was packed into a van and taken away from Yucheng by a group of people.
He arrived in a small county in the south and was taken into a family, and the owners of that family became his parents. At the time, he did not understand what had happened to him. It was many years later that he learned that he had been abducted.
When he first arrived in a new family, he was very uncomfortable with it at first and cried and made trouble. However, the impact of the environment on a nine-year-old child was huge. He gradually accepted his new parents, gradually forgot everything about his life in Yucheng, and also
He had forgotten the names and appearances of his biological parents, but the memory of Zhou Song had never been erased. When he saw Zhou Song again after more than ten years, he did not expect that he could recognize Zhou Song.
The coffee shop was very quiet, with less than 20% occupancy, but Qin Xiao deliberately lowered his voice when he spoke, as if he was afraid of disturbing other people. Because he was born with a loud voice, the volume of his normal speech was often considered too noisy, so in
In public places with many people, he habitually lowers his voice.
Zhou Song and Liang Xie each ordered a cup of coffee, but Qin Xiao was not used to drinking coffee and asked for a cup of milk. He held the milk cup in his hand and recounted his childhood abduction and trafficking as if telling someone else's story.
Feng spoke softly.
After listening to his story, Liang Xie felt a little weird: "When did you find out that you were abducted?"
Qin Xiao said: "When I was twelve or thirteen years old."
Liang Xie: “Didn’t call the police?”
Qin Xiao shook his head: "I never thought about calling the police. In fact, I have an impression of my previous parents and family, but I don't want to go back to my previous family."
Zhou Song asked: "Why?"
From the time they entered this coffee shop to the present, they have sat down and talked for more than half an hour. During this more than half an hour, Zhou Song did not say a word and just listened as if it was nothing to do with him. However, his eyes did not follow Qin
He had been observing Qin Xiao since he had moved away from Xiao. Except for the scar on Qin Xiao's forehead, he could not see the slightest trace of Fang Lei on Qin Xiao. More than ten years later, Qin Xiao's figure is now
Tall and muscular, a few centimeters taller than Liang Xiao, who is 1.84 meters tall. His skin has been tanned to a healthy bronze color, making him look like an athlete who loves outdoor sports all year round. Qin Xiao has black eyebrows and phoenix eyes, a high nose bridge and thin lips.
The lines are very three-dimensional, and the appearance resembles that of a certain Hong Kong movie star, which is completely different from the Fang Lei he remembers, but the dimple on the left side of Qin Xiao's face and the mole at the corner of his right eye remind Zhou Song that he is Fang Lei.
Hearing Zhou Song talking to him, Qin Xiao's dark eyes immediately lit up, and he opened his mouth to reveal two rows of white teeth, revealing a simple and shy smile: "In my impression, my dad always drinks and beats people.
My mother always said she regretted giving birth to me. Maybe it was lucky for me to have the opportunity to choose a new family. My adoptive parents were very good to me. Although they were poor, they never beat or scolded me.
I never thought about going to the police, and even if I later found out that I had been trafficked, I didn’t hate them at all. They gave me a life I had never had in my previous family.”
Qin Xiao's smile is very contagious. Zhou Song has seen many people and many smiling faces. No one has ever smiled as simply, innocently and happily as Qin Xiao.
Liang Xie still had doubts: "Since you have forgotten your parents, how did you find them back?"
The smile on Qin Xiao's face slowly faded, and the light in his eyes became much darker: "Two years ago, my father passed away in a car accident, and last year my mother was also diagnosed with liver cancer. She felt that she wouldn't live long, so she gave me my
My life experience was told to me. When I first arrived at their house, I could clearly tell my parents’ names and home addresses. She wrote them all down. She told me that my biological father’s name was Fang Yaqing and my mother’s name was Liu Qian. They lived in Nanhu Road, Yucheng City.
Room 401, Unit 1, Building 5, the old family building of Dafeng Garment Factory in Sanxiang. I also have a friend named Zhou Song who I often mention."
Hearing this, Zhou Song was finally touched, but his reaction was just to lower his eyes slightly and take a sip of coffee.
Liang Xie: "So you came back to find your biological parents?"
Qin Xiao's expression became a little complicated: "Yes, and no. I did go back to my previous home, but there was no one there anymore. I heard from my neighbor that Fang Yaqing, my biological father, was arrested for murder.
.As for my biological mother, she married to another city long ago."
Liang Xie: "Do you have any other reasons for coming back?"
Qin Xiao smiled: "I don't think I'm back, I'm just here."
His words were very unclear, but Zhou Song understood: "Are you planning to settle in Yucheng?"
Qin Xiao said: "Yes, I have found a job. I want to make money to treat my mother's illness. The doctor said that the cancer cells in her body have not spread widely, and there is still hope."
Liang Xie asked him about his age and education, and he scratched his hair shyly: "I am twenty-seven years old this year. I graduated from high school but did not go to college."
Liang Xie: “What kind of work did you do before?”
Qin Xiao: "I've done a lot. I've been in a factory, been an apprentice, served plates, and delivered takeaways."
Liang Xie: “Have you never thought about improving your academic qualifications?”
Qin Xiao pointed to his head, with a hint of helplessness in his smile: "My brain is not very good and I can't read well. It only takes a few hours for others to memorize a text, but it takes me several days and I always forget it."
I understand what the teacher taught me today, but tomorrow I have completely forgotten it, as if I had never heard it before.”
The situation he mentioned may be a cognitive disorder, a physical disease that is congenital or acquired. People like Qin Xiao, who have lived at the bottom of society since childhood, do not have a prominent family background, nor superior academic qualifications and personal abilities.
young people have limited job choices
Liang Xie handed him his business card: "I don't know what plans you have for yourself, and I don't know if I can help you. If you want to stay in this city for a long time, I should be able to provide you with advice and
Direction, if you encounter difficulties in the future and need help, you can try me."
Qin Xiao took his business card with both hands and said with a smile: "Thank you."
Liang Xie took out his cell phone and looked at it. There were two missed calls, both from Zhou Lingjun. He called the waiter to pay the bill, and smiled at Qin Xiao: "I have something else to do, why don't I come here first today?
?We will keep in touch in the future.”
Qin Xiao said hurriedly: "Okay, okay, you are busy. I have to go back to the store too."
After walking out of the coffee shop, Liang Xie shook hands with Qin Xiao and said goodbye. He took two steps forward and found that Zhou Song had not followed, so he turned around and said, "Xiao Song?"
Zhou Song said: "You go, I will go back by myself."
Liang Xie glanced at Qin Xiao who was standing behind him. It was inconvenient to say anything at the moment. He only said: "If Han Feilu comes to see you again, you must tell me."
After Liang Xie left, Zhou Song and Qin Xiao stood outside the coffee shop. Qin Xiao smiled shyly and was a little overwhelmed for a moment. He said incoherently: "It's really hot today, do you want to go home?"
?”
Zhou Song put his hand on his forehead to block the sun and nodded.
Qin Xiao: "How are you going? Are you going to take the subway?"
Zhou Song: "Take a taxi."
Qin Xiao's eyes lit up: "I'll give it to you. It will save you some taxi fare."
Zhou Song glanced at the white Ruitu parked on the roadside and seemed to find no reason to reject him, so he said: "Then I'll trouble you."
After getting in the car, Zhou Song sat in the passenger seat, looked at the jade Buddha on the driver's seat, and asked, "Is this car yours?"
Qin Xiao said: "No, no, it's my boss's car. I drove it out to help him refuel."
He seemed very happy, smiling with a deep dimple and a tiger tooth on the left side of his face, revealing a simplicity and childishness that was inconsistent with his tall stature. Zhou Song couldn't understand why he always looked full of vitality and faced the sun, as if all things were growing.
He looks like a girl, but he can be somewhat infected by his emotions.
Since meeting Qin Xiao again until now, he has said less than two words to Qin Xiao. Sitting in the car now, he felt that he needed to take the initiative to stir up some topics, otherwise he would appear too arrogant and indifferent.
Zhou Song asked: "You just said you found a job, right?"
Qin Xiao said: "Yes, I work at a car wash during the day and watch the show at a nightclub at night."
Zhou Song: "Do you want to rent a house?"
Qin Xiao: "Yes, I share a house with a few friends. Oops, you're talking too much, and I don't know where you live."
Zhou Song gave the address. Qin Xiao was new to Yucheng and was not familiar with the road, so he turned on the navigation. Zhou Song asked again: "How long have you been in Yucheng?"
Qin Xiao: "It's been more than a week."
Zhou Song thought for a moment and said, "If you want to find Liu Qian, I can help."
It took Qin Xiao a while to react before he realized that the Liu Qian he was talking about was his biological mother. He hesitated and said: "I...I'm not ready yet. I plan to settle down first and then go find her."
Zhou Song chose not to tell him about his participation in the investigation of Fang Yaqing's murder case, nor to tell him the motive behind Fang Yaqing's murder. Because since Qin Xiao was abducted from Yucheng, he has become an outsider, even though Fang Yaqing was responsible for committing the crime.
But he was innocent. Even if he knew the truth, it would be of no use except adding to his own psychological pressure and shouldering responsibilities that were not his.
Qin Xiao turned his head and looked at Zhou Song, and said with a smile: "You have long hair. It doesn't look like the one in the photo. I almost didn't recognize it."
Zhou Song: "Have you seen my photo?"
Qin Xiao: "There are many on the Internet, but the last time I searched for your photo was half a year ago. I just saw you in the car and I didn't even dare to recognize you."
Zhou Song faced out of the window and slightly curved his lips: "I dare not recognize him, but I dare to follow him."
Qin Xiao thought he was blaming him and said hurriedly: "I, I, I just want to confirm if it's you. Don't be angry. I don't want to follow you."
Zhou Song smiled lightly: "I'm not angry, I'm joking."
Qin Xiao was very appreciative and laughed: "Ah, you're kidding, it's so funny."
He sent Zhou Song downstairs, Zhou Song unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car, said goodbye to him, and then stood on the roadside politely waiting for him to leave first.
Qin Xiao scratched the back of his head and hesitated: "Well, Zhou Song, can you leave a phone number?"
Zhou Song then remembered that they hadn't left their phone number yet, so he took out his cell phone and asked, "What's your number?"
Qin Xiao named a mobile phone number and Zhou Song dialed it. His phone rang immediately. Zhou Song hung up the phone and saved his number, saying: "You know my number and you know where I live."
If anything happens, come to me anytime."
Qin Xiao happily saved his mobile phone number: "Okay, you go up, I'm leaving."
Zhou Song watched his car drive out of the corridor and gradually disappear, and then a feeling of reunion with old friends arose in his heart.
When he got home, he went to the bathroom to wash his face first to dispel some of the heat from his body, and then took out a can of cold fruit beer from the refrigerator. The mobile phone placed on the living table rang. It was a call from 'Qin Xiao'
The phone. He picked up the phone and turned around, leaning against the homeless platform, taking a sip of fruit beer and then answered the phone.
Qin Xiao: "It's me."
Zhou Song: "Yes, I know."
Qin Xiao laughed naively: "I just want to ask you, is your WeChat ID tied to your mobile phone number?"
Zhou Song: "Yeah."
Qin Xiao: "The one whose nickname is a string of English words and whose avatar is a blue cat is you, right?"
Zhou Song was amused by him: "That's not a blue cat, it's a Tom cat."
Qin Xiao: "Ah, yes, yes, it's Tom from Tom and Jerry. Then I'll add you."
Zhou Song hung up the phone, opened WeChat, and received a verification message from a friend. Qin Xiao's WeChat nickname is 'Don't Eat Spinach', and his avatar is the cartoon character Popeye. Zhou Song passed the message verification and is changing the note.
Qin Xiao's message was sent over, and it was an emoticon with his mouth open and laughing.
Zhou Song responded with a smiling expression, and Qin Xiao sent another message: Do you have time tomorrow night? I would like to treat you to dinner.
Zhou Song thought for a while and quickly replied: Yes.
Qin Xiao: Great, I'll find a place right now and send you the address tomorrow. You can rest. I saw you were very lack of energy in the car just now, so take a nap.
Qin Xiao was right, he did need to catch up on his sleep. He walked to the bedroom with his mobile phone and exited the chat page with Qin Xiao. Only then did he find that Han Feilu had sent several unread messages. He clicked on them and filled the screen with them.
It was a voice array sent by Han Feilu. From early this morning to now, there were more than 20 messages in total. He didn't listen to any of them. Each voice message was followed by a small red dot.
After entering the bedroom and lying on the bed, Zhou Song randomly clicked on a message and the voice began to play: I still owe you a meal. You choose the place, and I will treat you tomorrow night——
Without waiting for the voice to finish, Zhou Song impatiently stopped the voice and replied with three words: No time.
As soon as the message was sent, Han Feilu responded immediately. But Zhou Song didn't even look at it. He turned off his phone and threw it on the bedside table, closed his eyes and fell asleep.